On page xxxi in “The Doctor’s Opinion,” there are the sentences: “About one year prior to the experience a man was brought in to be treated for chronic alcoholism.  He had but partially recovered from a gastric hemorrhage and seemed to be a case of pathological mental deterioration.”  This is Hank Parkhurst, Bill Wilson’s original partner in the Works Publishing Company that published the Big Book.  Hank was known as a high pressure sort of a fellow that had worked for Standard Oil of New Jersey and was called the “promoter among promoters” by those that knew him back then.  He was author of the First Edition Big Book story “The Unbelievers.”  Some say he was also the primary author of the Big Book chapter “To Employers.”  He relapsed on or around September of 1939, some say over a desired affair with Ruth Hock, AA’s first secretary, and was never able to stay sober again for any length of time.  Hank reputedly wanted to divorce his wife and marry Ruth, but Ruth rejected him while deciding to remain Bill’s secretary.  Bill paid Hank $200 for his Works Publishing Stock.  It was around this time that Hank went to Cleveland to stir up trouble for Bill.  Hank died after a long illness on January 18, 1954 at the age of 57.  Lois Wilson ascribed his death to drinking.

   Also on the same page, there are the sentences attributed to Dr. Silkworth that reads: “When I need a mental uplift, I often think of another case brought in by a physician prominent in New York.  The patient had made his own diagnosis, and deciding his situation hopeless, had hidden in a deserted barn determined to die.  He was rescued by a searching party, and in desperate condition, brought to me … His alcoholic problem was so complex, and his depression so great, that we felt his only hope would be through what we then called ‘moral psychology’ and we doubted if even that would have any effect.”  This was John Henry Fitzhugh Mayo who was often simply referred to as “Honey Fitz” or just “Fitz”.  Fitz’s sobriety date was around October of 1935 and was Bill Wilson’s second or third success in helping someone getting sober.  Fitz was the author of the First Edition story “Our Southern Friend,” which is one of the few A.A. stories that have been in all four editions of the Big Book, though to read the story in its original form, one must read the First Edition version.  (Some think the original conclusion to the story, removed in 1955 when the 2^nd Edition was published, to be among the finest prose of any A.A. story.)  Fitz was the son of an Episcopalian minister, and while the Big Book was being written, Fitz was considered to be among the “Christian faction.”  The sentence in “We Agnostics” on page 56, “Who are you to say there is no God?” can be directly attributed to Fitz.  On page 215 of a 4^th Edition in Fitz’s story, there are these words: “Then comes a thought that is like a voice. ‘Who are you to say there is no God?’  It rings in my head.  I can’t get rid of it.”  Fitz moved to Washington DC and started AA meetings there.  He was joined by Florence Rankin, author of “A Feminine Victory,” and it was Fitz that identified her body in the morgue when she died drunk.  Fitz attempted to join the Army during World War II, was diagnosed with cancer at that time, and died on October 4, 1943. 

   “Fred the Accountant,” whose story is included in pages 39-43 of the Big Book, is reputed to be the story of Harry Brick who got sober in New York with Bill Wilson as well around June of 1938.  His story is on pages 252 and 253 of the First Edition.  There is a marked similarity between what Bill Wilson wrote and the seven brief paragraphs that Harry wrote.  Bill wrote more about Harry than Harry did when he wrote probably the shortest alcoholic story of the four Big Book editions.  Both versions have Harry being hospitalized originally but he was still thinking he had not been “that bad.”  He rejects help from A.A.  Upon being hospitalized a second time, Harry becomes much more willing to listen and joins the fellowship and becomes very active.  Harry ending up sounding very much like an judgmental accountant by other behaviors that followed publication of his story.  He reputedly sued Alcoholics Anonymous to get money back that he loaned in order to help get the Big Book published.  He became a member of the Alcoholic Foundation after a previous member got drunk, but had to resign his membership when he got drunk himself.  No information is provided regarding whether or not he died sober.

   More trivia to come.